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Suspect arrested in Jessica Ridgeway case

WESTMINSTER – A teenage boy who lived just a mile from a 10-year-old Colorado girl who was abducted and killed earlier this month has been arrested in her death, along with a May attack on a runner, authorities said Wednesday.

Police in the Denver suburb of Westminster said they arrested 17-year-old Austin Reed Sigg on Tuesday night after receiving a phone call that led them to his home. They declined to elaborate.

Sigg lives about a mile from the home of Jessica Ridgeway, who disappeared Oct. 5 after leaving for school. Her body was found five days later in a field at a park.

“We worked on this case nonstop, around the clock, since Oct. 5, the day of her abduction,” Police Chief Lee Birk said at news conference. “I believe we’ve made a significant step towards justice for Jessica.”

The break in the case comes two days after police said Jessica’s abduction was linked to the May 28 attempted abduction of a 22-year-old runner at another park, the Ketner Lake Open Space.

Sigg will be charged in both cases. His first court appearance is set for 8 a.m. Thursday.